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F. A. MUSCHENHEHVI AND F. W. BLASDALE.

ROOM RACK FOR HOTELS AND THE UKE".

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ. 1918.-

Patented June 24, 1919.

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Umm PATENT @wwwE FREDERICK MuscIIEnrrEIivI Ann FREDERIC w. EtasDAIE, 0E NEW YORK, 1v. l

-' ROOM- BACK Eon II'oTELs 'ANn'rHE LIKE. 1

vSPecfwatioli of Lettrs Pa'ilt- Patented June 24,1919. Original applicationled January 212, 1918, Serial No. 211,502.. Divided andthis application filed August 17,"

viera.. serial No.'- 250,290.-

To all whom t may concern.' f

Be it known that we, FREDERICIIA. MU- scHENIrEIM and FREDERIC W.; BLASDALE, both citizens of the United States, and-both residents of New York city, Ain the county and State of New York, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in Room-Racks for Hotels and the like, of which the following isa specification.

Our invention relates to rackshaving la plurality of similar holders or rcompart ments, such as room racksfor use in hotels, clubs, and theli'ke, and has forV its object to'provide a similar and compact construction of this character, which can be readily assembled and taken apart, and yet .will bek strong and rigid when in condition for use'.

vWe have illustrated herein a specific, ex-` ample of our invention 1n which the me' chanical features of the rack construction are combined with certain electrical signaling or switchboard devices, intended to form part of an electrical indicator more fully set forth in our application for Letters Patent filed 4inthe United' States' Patent' Oflicev on January 12, 1918, `Serial No. 211,502bf1 which our present application is a division. Said electrical features, however, are not claimed herein, but partly (in so far as they relate to the switchboard) in another application filed by us simultaneously herewith, and partly in said parent application.

For the sake of completeness, the electrical switchboard features will now be described in conjunction with the mechanical or `structural features claimed in the present application, a specific embodiment of our invention being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hotel room rack constructed according to our invention;

Fig. 2. is a fragmentary horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing a portion of the rack on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3 -3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4; is a horizontal section, showing on a still larger scale, one of the compartments or holders of Fig. 2. t

The rack comprises a frame 34, and a plurality of vertically disposed parallel slats or uprights 34 rigidly mounted within the frame at an inclination to its transverse axis, so that the front and rear sides of the slats will permanently `face `the correspondingsides ofthe frame in anoblique direction. The connection of'each uprightwith the said frame members mayv be made by.

means of horizontal angle?k irons 34. Againstthe front face of each upright,between the corresponding angle .irons 34, is secured a piece of sheetmetal 35, thefforward edge l35 of which may be bent to fit the corresponding 'edge of the upright, while'V its. rear edge r35". is bent at right angles so that `it may be readily fastened (say by screws) yto the corresponding rear portion 34121 ofthe uprightk 34C. To the metal sheet 35 we secure, asfby soldering,

a series of superposed horizontal holders 36 forl the cards C, the cards being adapted t0 have written thereon the guests name, room number, and other data. Each holder 36 has its back inclined forwardly and upwardly as shown in Fig. 3, and preferably projectsslightly beyond thel sheet 35iat its` forward edge. Each holder has af horizontal channel 36 along its entire lower edge, and a horizontal' channel 36 along thefr'ear half or portion of its upper edge, the edges of the cards C sliding in said channels as the cards are insertedor removed. The back of each card holder rests at its upper end against the bottom channel 36 of the next holder above. At the front end of each holder, the room number is painted. The uprights are spaced from one another and are arranged. in overlapping step-shaped relation, so that the front upright rims of all the uprights remain fully exposed or uncovered. The card holders 36, extending horizontally across these rims are thus likewise fully exposed at their forward sections, and owing to the spacing between the uprights, the cards may be freely read from end to end. The space formed between adjoining uprights is furthermore `utilized for the interposition of the signalby a vertical bar 39 of insulating material secured by screws or otherwise to the respective upright 34,. Each socket '39 eX-v tends horizontally lengthwise*y of the holder, and is adapted to receive one kof the clerks signallights.y This light comprises a sultable bulb '40 with 'a filament 4l one end of forward portiony with an opening in which is set a lens 44, to direct the clerks attention to the card orcard holder corresponding to the room that is signaling. It will be understood that theparts 40, 41. 42, 43, 44 are connected with each other rigidly and move as a unit when beinginserted into, or removed from the socket 39. ylhen not in their sockets 39, these signal units may be kept in any manneny convenient for the clerks use, and we; prefer to set them, when not in use, in vertical sockets 45 (say of wood) located in a board 46 at the bottom ofthe room rack and slightly in advance thereof,k .So as to be within the clerks reach.

'Each of the terminals 3B, 37 and each Copies of thisfpatent inay be obtained for Said casing isadapted to slide in or out in the `conducting socket 39` and is provided at its of the sockets 39 is connected, by wires l23', 49 and 47 respectively, with suitable circuits, for instance in the manner set forth in detail in .our parent application, which enables the clerk to signal an attendant near any particular room, and to receive a reprn signal from such attendant., However, as'the circuit arrangements are not claimed in the` present application, it is not considered necessary to show or explain them in detail.

l. A rooml rafale-'comprising a frame, a plurality of spaced vertical slats rigidly mounted in said frame at an inclination to its transverse axis, said slats being arranged in step-shaped relation, whereby the front upright rims of said slats" remain uncovered,

and a plurality of horizontal card holders mounted onfsaid slats and extending across -said exposed rims.

f2, A room rack comprising a. frame, a plurality of spaced vertical slats rigidly mounted in the frame at an'inclination to its transverse axis, and a plurality of superposedl inclined card holders mounted on the A l forward sides ofthe slats, said card holders being.- provided with upper and lower channels, the top of any one card holder resting against the bottom of the superimposed card holder.

FREDERICK A; MUSCHENHEIM. FREDERIC W; BLASDALE.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

